181 CHAPTER 178

Green Lantern headed for the Watchtower while Cyborg tried creating a connection with the tower. 

Wonder Woman and Shazam headed for LexCorp as the speedsters ran around the city and beyond, helping to rescue those who had fallen victim to an accident because of Lex's mind broadcast. 

Hawk Man and Hawk Woman did the same to help.  

As Green Lantern was about leaving earth, when he noticed beams of light headed directly to earth. He ignored it for the moment and tried getting into the Watchtower but its defensive functions had been activated and he couldn't make way to get inside of it. 

"Green Lantern, you might want to come back to the city." A whispered through his coms. 

"Not now Cyborg, I'm in the middle of something." he replied as he continued his attempt to tear down the defensive force field protecting the Watchtower. 

"Some strange people just appeared in different regions of the city. They are definitely not from around here, probably from Apokalips. And the way they look makes me think they are definitely invaders, not friendlies." Cyborg pressed on. 

"Okay, I am on my way." He said. He put what he was currently doing at that time on hold as he flew back down to earth. 

"What is going on?" Aquaman's voice reverberated through Wonder Woman's coms as he had just arrived at the heart of the city, only to see it was in utter chaos. She had called for him the moment things started looking weird, especially since they lost all connection with Batman and the Watchtower was reported by Green Lantern to be closed off from the inside. 

"I was headed for LexCorp in search of Luthor when strange lights descended from the sky, now Cyborg has reported that five soldiers from Apokalips had stepped out of each of them. And an army of Parademons followed right behind them." She replied with her hand on her coms as she tore through the wind, headed for the one nearest to her. 

"Still going after Luthor?" He asked. 

"No, there's been a change of plans. I'm headed for one of the people leading this invasion, I suggest you do the same." She replied. 

"Okay." He answered as they both headed towards the location by which the portals had opened.  

… 

[Lex Luthor's POV] 

"This isn't how it was supposed to turn out!!!" He exclaimed as panic slowly sipped into his very being, but he tried maintaining his usual composure even at the face of such horror.

Standing atop his company's rooftop in wait of his chopper, vivid goosebumps emerged on his forearm's surface as shivers ran down his spine. 

The scenery which unfolded before his very eyes, seemed to be a sight from the underworld. 

Scary but humanoid looking beings resembling creatures of the night, raided the city like monsters invading from the depths of hell itself. They instinctively attacked every human who caught their sight, either going for the kill or abducting them.

The evening sky went dark as wings emerged from their backs of the Parademons, blocking the setting sun as the majority took to the skies. 

"Sir, it would be impossible to escape on the chopper since they are also airborne. Waiting here any longer would put your life at risk, we should make use of the tunnels instead." Mercy said, pulling Lex by the arm as she led him into the building. 

The lights in the elevator continuously flickered as they headed down to an underground tunnel beneath LexCorp. 

"I need to fix this mess or else humanity as we know it, would be wiped out." Lex said to Mercy as they exited the elevator and stepped into Lex's office. 

"If earth gets destroyed, it will defeat the whole purpose of this operation." They used the hidden elevator in his office to go to the lower levels which linked to some old underground subway system where he had created a personal network under there. 

It was one of the major ways he often escaped capture from the League each time his plan failed and was backed against a wall. 

Although he ensured to do it as discreetly as he could, so he wouldn't be followed or tracked down by anyone. If it turned out that he didn't see an opening for an escape, he'd let himself get captured because he could always get out of jail. 

Now he hoped the League and other heroes would be able to fend off the invaders and prove their title as the Protectors of Earth, to be true. 

…

[Tom Hendricks POV] 

Everyone at my place was wearing their psychic nullifier earpiece, even Selina had one which I suspect she must have bought from the black market on hearing about Lex's plans for the season. Although she had it well hidden with her head warmer, still I was able to take note of it. 

I definitely didn't mention anything to her that night we hooked up at the party. I admit her blow job was indeed mind blowing, but I doubt I'd spill info without retaining knowledge of it. Either that or she must be well connected to have gotten wind of it. 

We were all seated in the living room as we watched the live news broadcast of the invasion. It covered the appearance of the five beams of lights before their helicopter got taken down by an attack from one of the assumed commanders who walked through the portal. 

The other helicopters from different news channels and a few police copters got taken down by the parademons who were spreading out of the city and into neighboring ones. 

The attacks cut the connection of the live broadcast from those who were present at the scene and turned into an announcement for an emergency evacuation warning. It was for everyone to evacuate Metropolis immediately. 

While those in neighboring cities were to evacuate as soon as they could. 

"That nigga Lex finally done it, didn't he!!" I exclaimed as a part of me deep within, experienced a perverted feeling of excitement. 

In fact, the main reason I went over to his office to threaten him was because in order for him to stand above people like me who are glitches to the verse system and possessed extraordinary abilities, he would ensure that he goes through with his plans especially considering how I treated him like a bully giving a scared little boy a wedgie. 

I couldn't have him chickening out on me so I intentionally spited his ego. I'm glad his arrogance pushed him to go forward with a plan he knew had a possibility of ending all life on earth. 

But it was an all or nothing gamble with him, at least now I get the chance to experience a euphoric dose of thrill. In my previous life, fighting against the an evil army would have sounded extremely absurd. 

Besides, I wouldn't be interested in such a thing. But here I was, just itching to go out there but I needed the League to exhaust themselves from battle first before making my entrance and stealing the fight. I wouldn't want to repeat what happened between Green Lantern and I when I fought against Sinestro as a third party. 

I hoped I got a chance to experience a rhapsodic fight against their top bosses, I wouldn't mind testing the heights and limits of my abilities against Darkseid. 

"So what now T?" Jason asked me, using the nickname he had given to me the night we seemed to have bonded as bros. 

Leo turned to me in wait for my response, I simply glanced at the TV and spotted the report of heavy traffic in different towns, everyone was trying to evacuate. They've seen footage of the parademons either killing or abducting people, and they weren't willing to experience it for themselves. 

Selina sat in the living room with us as everyone waited for me to make a call to either evacuate Gotham or stay. 

"For now we sit back and do nothing." I said and Jason locked at me with a confused look. "It'll be contained at Metropolis since it's the origin city, they would probably want to finish up with the whole city before moving across to another. 

I took out my phone and texted Jason. [If you wish to uphold your duty as one of the protectors of this city and to answer the vigilante's call, then feel free to make an excuse and get out there]

His phone's screen lit up as he received my text. Upon seeing it, a smirk crept along his lips as he calmly got up from the couch and left the living room, headed for the garage where he had his Red Hood costume and gear hidden. 

"I'll be right back." I excused myself as I winked at Leo, before using my head to subtly gesture to Selina who was watching the news. Indicating he should occupy her while I head inside to attend to something. 

He gave me a subtle chin raise in response, indicating he got me covered. 

"So why aren't you spending the festive season with your actual friends anyway?" Leo said to Selina as he diverted her attention over to him. 

I got to the garage just in time, Jason was about to head out on his bike through the garage's door, and with a bag containing his costume over his shoulder. 

"Hold on Jase." I said as I telekineticly halted his bike from leaving that spot. 

"What gives, T? I was about heading out." He replied. 

"You won't be needing to carry your costume or go through the stress of changing into and out of it anymore." I said as I walked to my desk at a small workshop I used in the garage. 

"What do you mean?" He asked as he watched me pull out a previously locked drawer from the desk.

"Here, put this on." I said as i tossed him an all black smart wristwatch. 

"What is this?" He asked, taking close observation of the watch. 

"Just put in on already, you aren't going to find out what it does by looking at it all day." I replied. 

With a sigh, he wore the wristwatch. "Now what?" He queried. 

"Tap on it, dumb ass." I said as I grabbed his arm and tapped on the screen which lit up. I clicked on the Red Hood's icon among other apps as the watch started to dissolve on his arm. 

"What is happening?" He asked as he watched nanites creep all over his body. His Red Hood helmet took form and his cloths changed into his vigilante's gear. The only thing he would have to carry around are his hunter knife and his twin pistols. 

"Wow!" He exclaimed. 

"Just think intently on a thought of wanting to revert back to normal and your cloths will go back to normal." I instructed.  

"Hello Red Hood." Gwen's voice reverberated from the built in coms. "You gave me access to Gwen too!" He exclaimed. 

"Yup, now you have coms which is linked directly to Leo and I." I said to him. The network was one I ensured was impossible to tap into from an external network.  

"Now get going." 

"Thanks T." He replied as his costume reverted back to his normal clothes, and with his watch seated around his wrist. Jason headed out on his bike, with his twin pistols and knife safely tucked beside him.